Sunday 25/04/04. The Divine Comedy @ The Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool

The Divine Comedy went through a sticky patch a few years back with the release of the ‘Regeneration’ album. The Radiohead image didn’t seem to work, but now with the release of new album ‘Absent Friends’ things seem to be back on track.
 
This has come at a price, the name now refers to vocalist Neil Hannon, who has parted company all but one member of the group. Now working in collaboration solely with Joby Talbot, the new album marks a return to the sort of material that made The Divine Comedy so special in the first place.

Opening the tour at Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre, the short thin figure that is Neil Hannon emerges from the shadows to rapturous applause. It’s an impressive set up, featuring no less than a fifteen-piece band, with strings and brass. During the second song Hannon asks the audience “Do you like the band?” they definitely do. 

The show Neil puts on here is nothing less than spectacular. Showcasing many of the tracks from the new album, single ‘Come Home Billy Bird’ is just one of the highlights, alongside ‘Sticks And Stones’, and ‘Mutual Friend’. The band still manage to squeeze in 90's uber-hit ‘Becoming More Like Alfie’, though. However the highlight of the first half comes towards the interval with an orchestral arrangement of Queens Of The Stone Age's 'No One Knows'.

Opening the second half with ‘National Express’, Hannon jumps off stage at the end the song and manages to get the front row of the audience to singalong. The influence of Scott Walker is very much in evidence in the music, yet it’s Neil’s own modest character and wit that shines through. 

At the end of the night the group finish off with ‘Tonight We’ll Fly’ and ‘Something For The Weekend’.

A moving experience.